Fact of the day

Information is the most powerful weapon.

Monday

Fact N°
2168

Yellowish or reddish skin tones are more attractive to women than traditionally masculine features.

Pale skin that lacks the yellowish or reddish hue sometimes called a "healthy glow" is a larger detractor to physical attractiveness than any major facial characteristic, according to a UK study. Vaguely yellow or red skin tones indicate a healthy diet and physical fitness, while pallid skin generally indicates a weakened immune system. The study's female respondents were more swayed by the tint of a man's skin than his features, indicating that perceived health was more important to them than virility or masculinity.

Tuesday

Fact N°
2169

There is one pictographic language left in the world.

The Library of Congress's Selections from the Naxi Manuscript Collection features the only pictographic writing system still in use today: ceremonial texts by the Naxi people of Yunnan Province, China. The simplified, illustrative system resembles a series of drawn glyphs similar to Egyptian or Mayan hieroglyphs, with many recognizable figures of animals and objects. Practicing Naxi priests, called "dongbas," use this system to produce manuscripts, which are used for standard ceremonies such as funerals and blessings.

Wednesday

Fact N°
2170

Spam emails have declined for the first year on record.

According to Cisco, 2010 was the first year on record that spam email activity declined -- only by 1.6% in the United States, but historic nonetheless. The decline resulted in a mere 11.1 trillion spam emails sent in 2010, down from 11.3 trillion sent in 2009. The decrease is likely due to the shutdown of major spam senders around the globe. As spam activity decreases, however, malware activity is on the rise; Google processed a 111% increase in e-mail virus transmissions in late 2010 compared to the same month in the previous year.

Thursday

Fact N°
2171

Too much sleep is deadlier than not enough.

Sleeping fewer than six hours a night -- and over seven and a half hours a night -- can often be indicative of illnesses or even the cause of health problems. Researchers from British and Italian universities analyzed studies that covered more than one million people and found that those who slept fewer than six hours a night were 12% more likely to die before 65, but those who slept more than nine hours were 30% more likely to die prematurely.

Friday

Fact N°
2172

Beer keeps you younger, but may give you cancer.

There are notable health benefits associated with a moderate level of beer consumption: it raises HDL ("good cholesterol"), helps prevent cardiovascular disease, decreases the likelihood of dementia, and in general counteracts some of the risks of aging. Of course, all of this only applies when people drink in moderation (fewer than five drinks when one indulges; one to six beverages over the course of a week). However, averaging a drink a day also increases your risk for several types of cancer, including lung, liver, stomach, and prostate cancer.

Saturday

Fact N°
2176

Cataract surgery is thousands of years old.

Ancient Babylonian and Indian physicians both developed a surgical treatment to remove cataracts. A possible reference to it even appears in the Code of Hammurabi, a Babylonian law code dating back to 1700 BC, wherein a successful eye surgeon is said to be owed "10 shekels in money." The Indian surgeon Sushurata, who lived around 800 BC, describes cataract surgery in his Sushruta Samhita. The procedure, called "couching," involved a sharp instrument and the use of clarified butter and continued to be used for hundreds of years throughout Asia.

Sunday

Fact N°
2173

Over 5,000 janitors in the U.S. have doctorates or comparable degrees.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that around 17 million Americans are over-educated for the jobs they have and most of them hold college degrees in fields that don't require them. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics nearly 27,000 retail salespeople, 9,200 waiters and waitresses and 7,000 truck drivers have a doctoral or professional degree.